Agritopia Epicenter may be Gilbert, AZ third dining core
Gilbert's
Agritopia Epicenter is now on target.
The
mixed-use, upscale development on the northwestern corner of Ray and Higley
roads was initially rebuffed by residents of the master-planned community for
its density.
Last week,
however, Gilbert's Design Review Board unanimously approved the project without
any public protest.
"We
reconfigured it, and there is no opposition," said developer Joe Johnston,
whose family used to farm the land. "We listened to the residents and
tried to redesign it in a way to make everybody happy."
Among the
changes were more space between the residential and commercial buildings, and
changes to the flow of traffic.
Epicenter,
consisting of four mixed-use buildings, will create a town center for
Agritopia, Johnston's popular "village" built around an urban farm.
The bottom floors of the buildings will host retail shops focused on dining and
health, while the three top floors will be luxury apartments. A beer garden is
included in the plan.
The
project envelops nearly 22 acres. Construction will begin in about 10 months,
with an opening planned in fall 2016.
Johnston said he looked at traditional,
mixed-use projects In cosmopolitan cities, including Paris, for inspiration. He
sought to create a lively street scene, unique to Arizona, but not so
elsewhere.
Within the
retail component, he seeks to attract the best of Arizona.
"Instead
of having an anchor tenant, we will have an anchor philosophy," he said.
"Everybody here has to be passionate about what they're doing, whether
it's running shoes or beer or ramen, they have to know their craft, so they
can't be amateurs that don't know what they're doing and have to be committed
to quality."
Johnston
sees Epicenter developing into a third dining core for Gilbert; the first two
being the Heritage Marketplace in downtown Gilbert, and the second at the
SanTan Village mall complex.
National dining chains will not be considered
for Agritopia's Epicenter.
Johnston
is working in conjunction with Phoenix-based RED Development, which created the
CityScape project in downtown Phoenix. Epicenter's apartments will be owned and
managed by IPA Management, which specializes in multifamily housing and
recently established a senior living community called Generations at Agritopia.
The one-
to three-bedroom apartments will feature outdoor dining spaces and rooftop
access. Some of the buildings will have skybridges to connect with each other.
"Here
you will have the best of vibe and also the best of suburbia because a lot of
people think badly of suburbia, but suburbia's got some positive aspects as
well," Johnston said. "Village life and urban life as well. We think
there's going to be a fair number of young people and also a fair number of
Canadian clients."
Underlying
the project will be agriculture, the signature theme at Agritopia. Date palms,
citrus, beds of herbs and vegetables will be placed throughout, with the
produce available to the restaurateurs.
Johnston's
vision is to create a destination known far and wide. Four generations of his
family live in Agritopia, including his parents, Jim and Virginia Johnston, who
started it all.
"We've
always enjoyed farming here, but Joe's done such a good job," said Jim
Johnston, who no longer plays an active role in the family business.
Epicenter
adds a feather to the crowded cap of Joe Johnson, which contains Joe's Real
BBQ, Liberty Market, Joe's Farmhouse and the Coffee Shop, to name some. There's
more to come.
Johnson
plans to develop a silver barn on the property into artisan space for
microbusinesses. It will be "very small for very talented people," he
said.
Would that
signal the end?
"Towns never stop developing and
changing," Johnston said. "But probably, it's close to the end."
Srianthi Perera, The Republic | azcentral.com 6:23 p.m. MST November 22, 2014
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